What is Advent?

What is Advent?



The word Advent comes from the Latin word for “coming”. It is a season that marks the beginning of the Church’s year. It starts on the 4th Sunday before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve. Advent is a time when we emphasize the coming of Jesus Christ- past, present, and future. We remember Jesus who will be born on Christmas in an animal’s feeding trough to a people who were longing for God to rescue them through the expected Messiah. We yearn for God to come to us in our daily lives, especially through the Sacraments, Scripture, the community, and the needy. We also expect Jesus to come again in a unique way at the Second Coming when God comes to renew creation and defeat evil and corruption once and for all. Advent is a time of waiting, expectation, and longing. We remember Mary pregnant and longing to see her child which will bring her such profound joy. We prepare for Christ to come again recollecting that we have been given work to do as Christ’s Church in the world. We prepare our hearts for the day when we will face our Lord and give an account of our lives. Advent is also a time of celebration because we believe that ultimately God is for us and not against us (Rom 8). At the time of his Second Coming he will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away (Rev 21)

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